It had to do with timing. The timing of the end of the war led to the actions of Serkan, which is equivalent of a self inflicted detonation of multiple atomic bombs in their own territory, the after-effect being the Undeath. Cut off from advancing, the Valdac forces went home victorious although after suffering many loses. Around this time, the inner structure and fabric of Valdaci society was the most flimsy and volatile, which is one of the reasons the war happened as it did, and why they attacked Elsari so zealously. This zealotry was in-part found from connections with Dragon-Gods of the territory. This led to a ****-like campaign against Elsari, creating the Wastes, where as politics and religion within Valdac was put into strict protocol. They began burning books, books of magic and of the past. In the past, both Elsari and Valdac, although rivaled- both participated in magics. Overtime, their difference in preferences, in terms of the nature of the magic, led to their ultimate clash. Eventually Valdaci rule forbode all old magics, many of such magics were performed within Elsari, and thus the war. They aimed to destroy the Elsarin ways. After the war, with their new found zealotry from their new order, they were rewarded from their Dragon Gods with the gift of mutation. Mutation into a new race. And like a Gestapo- they tainted everyone with no exceptions, none were tolerated otherwise. And so, the Ironfist Stronghold was made by those who left Valdac at that time, refusing to take part in the process. Originally Valdac was one larger unified nation of Humans, covering all three of these territories, and the priests of Valdac found in the Stronghold preach this, according to their flavor text.
Interesting. FW and SL also have access to the ability. Soul Collection. Where the souls in question are nora globes. Could be a very ancient form of magic related to nora. Care to share your thoughts?
While there is blood, and I can't say nora is like blood. But nora is what is left over after any fight or death. It is the life essence, it is that which animates the living and the undead alike. Elsari developed concepts for it, but their true necromancy and nora manipulation began after the war with Valdac. Both sides got something new, and both sides got these things from the specific magics that they focused on and disagreed with each other about. Going into the war, Elsari generally disapproved of necromancy and magic that was too-dark. But they were definitely experimental and in line with ancient magic, old magics, things that link to the original Stitched. Valdac was the opposite, they did not want to step outside of their new found boundary lines and yet they refused and burned all things ancient and old that wasn't even slightly out of bounds with their established beliefs and system, including means to magic. However, that being said, Serkan was imprisoned and left inert for a long time, as he was a priest from long ago that was put into such a predicament due to his strong hand in necromancy and dark arts- his willingness to experiment, his skill, his charisma and leadership capabilities, and most of all his dark, dark heart. He was a priest, yes. And a respected one, but even in that position, his peers and colleagues, then commonfolk, and then finally his superiors decided he had gone too far and stepped past the point of approval. He was deemed a dangerous man, left to lay peacefully until the need arise that he save their nation from destruction, which is exactly what happened. Once the damage was done and the King (FW Avatar) willingly gave his crown to Serkan, he was rewarded not only as the avatar (a God) but also with the specific form on Undeath that leaves the subject, the king, conscious and in control of himself. It requires a level of trust. Following this, they developed their magic like they never had before. They took a turn straight into all of the things that they tip toed around and never took a dive into. They began to dwelve in it, thrive with it, these dark magics that they had already opened the door to before the war. They were no longer hindered by inner-turmoil regarding rationality and moral standards. It did not stop them from developing their magics, as they have since ancient times, and they continue to do so to this day. It was the same magics that were performed to release Serkan, both times, during the war, and later on when he emerged from the Utterdark. Both times were done by a few disciples who believed in Serkan, during times when the general populace did not. Of course, dwelving into these dark magics, nora collection is a thing. The Unholy Tomb is a prime example. However cases of the ability "Soul Collection" are always found on champs that seem to innately have it as a trait of their being. It is like a nora sensing ability, where one can feel the nora, and collect it, from further away. There is no evidence that dusk creeper, the salvaging kanen, or the soul collecting vampyre use magic to collect the nora. There is evidence that this ability is inspired by their thirst and extended reach for the nora. Most champs must "pick up" a nora globe, but they don't really do that. They come so close to the nora that they collect it, the nora comes to them. When you step on a space with a globe, your guy doesn't pick up anything, he enters the space and the globe enters the characters body. The effect that happens when they do that is still what happens with soul collectors, simply on a broader scale of space. There are cases among Valdac such as the Skeezick who had the ability, but that was due to his staff; Valdac was big on this concept "Oh, we want to have access to that magic? Lets find a way to perform it without having to do that specific ceremonial prayer to someone else's God". Staffs and weapons work. Funny thing is that he lost that ability, and has a death charge combo instead. It makes sense: I suppose you can't force magic.
Sounds like a form of magnetism. Nora as an essence could be attracted to will. However nora as we know it could possibly be an inert entity. So it could also not be magnetism, but its own will. Thoughts?
You might want to consult the Frog people on that one. I specialize in Elsarin related matters. I can merely tell you what I know, but it isn't even magnetism. It's a creature's sense of "touch" being expanded and thus interacting with the nora. It is an interaction, which would insinuate there is something going on for both ends. That's how interaction between particles work. There is an interaction, as there is no such thing as a "dead particle". Funny to hear me say something like that. All of my allies are "dead"! *hearty laugh* *boney cough*
People can and do actually pick up nora globes, though. When the explorers came back from Maljara one of them held in her hands a large nora globe to show the Dwarf King what they had found.
TeaScholar your posts are amazing, but you are wrong at one thing: Serkan was still alive when Elsarin was nuked. https://www.poxnora.com/info/story.do?i=15
Nora is collected and forged into armor and weapons it does not enter into their body. They actually collect it.
Actually I think he's right on that, everything is made of nora, but obviously mass murdering people for it wouldn't end really as well as just digging.
I was talking about the part where he said nora enters the body. I wasn't saying ppl don't have nora within them. Nora is pretty much the essence of life so all living things are made of it.
Well ok, but: Serkan wasn't imprisoned, he was just cast out of his "society", "shunned by his colleagues", he was never incarcerated. Also, nobody has any hope that he would "save" Elsarin or anything, he just took the chance when everyone was agonizing. The belief that he would save Elsarin with undeath was pretty much his alone. But you know, I could do this all day but it wouldn't really help, your story is so cool I wouldn't mind if they just copy pasted it.
They have changed their stance on Human at least 3 times now with each new version of the history of pox. IS barbs were humans from day one and now they are not...ok.
